13.69% vs 3.6%.
These are Taiwan and Korea's economic growth rates for the first quarter of this year. Taiwan's first-quarter growth rate was 13.69% year over year, while Korea's was 3.6%. Korea's growth rate is not low, but Taiwan showed tremendous momentum.
Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group and the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, cited these numbers on the 25th, saying, "(Taiwan's growth rate is) an astonishing number. It is because they caught the AI wave well," and added, "We are missing the '1' from (Taiwan's growth rate). We need to spark the pace of industrial growth."
That afternoon, Chey attended the symposium "AX challenges and responses: a national strategy for innovation, growth and inclusion" at the international conference hall of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul. The Presidential Advisory Council on Science & Technology, a presidential advisory body, and the National Economic Advisory Council held the event to find ways to secure competitiveness in AI transformation (AX).
Taking the podium to deliver congratulatory remarks, Chey cited "growth" and "low expense" as reasons to focus on AI. Chey said, "Korea's growth is guaranteed only if we get on AI well," adding, "The country is drifting toward a high-expense society where it is hard to shoulder various social expenses, but AI could reduce those expenses."
Chey said, "AI does have negative aspects, but that is not a reason not to do it," adding, "We should move toward becoming an AI-native country while rapidly reducing side effects."
Experts at the symposium agreed with Chey. Jang Young-jae, a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), assessed that AI is evolving into an ecosystem technology in which AI technologies, controllers, sensors, telecommunications equipment and data infrastructure advance together. He said AX innovation should begin in manufacturing and then expand to defense, healthcare and services.
Kwon Yong-hyun, a vice president at LG Uplus, noted that bottlenecks in infrastructure and demand, innovation bases and regulations must be resolved so that revenue generated in the AI industry does not flow overseas, including to China.
Kim Seong-sik, vice chair of the National Economic Advisory Council, which hosted the symposium, said, "As we enter the era of agentic AI and physical AI, this is a new opportunity for Korea," adding, "We should build a full-stack AI strategy based on manufacturing competitiveness, data and device capabilities, and establish a national-level cooperative system in which corporations and the government respond together to the various issues raised by AI transformation."
The Presidential Advisory Council on Science & Technology and the National Economic Advisory Council said they would reflect the policy proposals and on-site opinions discussed at the symposium in future presidential advice and policy recommendation processes.